ODS HTML & ODS Report Writing Interface: Justify text, column widths

[Brian]

Hi all,

I'm writing to ODS HTML output and I'm having some difficulties with using the ODS Report Writing Interface (Object-dot syntax).

1. I am having difficulty using overrides to justify the text for all left/center/right within a cell, a column, column/cell span, and straight text.
   • Regardless of overrides - Within a cell, the text is always centered. Outside a cell, left justified.
2. I am having difficult in setting the sizes of cells, columns, and their associated gutters. (Using gridded_layout for HTML) I have had to use a blank column with ALT-255 hidden spaces to compensate.

Any thoughts?

All web references/papers for ODS Report Writing Interface/ODS Data Step Object seem to refer to ODS PDF. I've purchased the Output Delivery System: The Basics and Beyond. Only a checkmark and note that "Exciting changes are on the way for ODS and the DATA step... Refer to the SAS Web site for more information."

Any possibility of some help for ODS HTML?

Thanks for your help!

[ballardw]

Some sample code is probably needed for any diagnosis.

[Cynthia_sas]

Hi:

    ballardw is correct. some code would be good. However, before you post code, I would actually recommend trying your code with ODS PDF first. ODS PDF is the destination that I always think of for the Report Writing interface. Next, I would think of RTF. Last, if at all, HTML. That fact is that you have always been able to write your own custom HTML with ODS and DATA step without the object-dot syntax in order to generate custom HTML and to use CSS stylesheets for styling the HTML.

  Also, the object-dot syntax is preproduction. Most of the papers about using it show ODS PDF as the destination in which syntax is tested and produces the best results. That's because PDF is an image of the report/output as it would go to a printer. HTML does not have the page controls or output size controls as PDF does. Typically HTML printing control belongs to the rendering browser unless you use other CSS techniques to control printing look and feel and CSSSTYLE option allows you to use that separate set of style properties with ODS HTML (as well as other destinations).

  I envision the object-dot syntax as being the syntax you would use for producing a tri-fold brochure or an invoice or a glossy handout for an shareholder's meeting  -- all of which are designed to be printed or delivered in PDF. I would consider these to be "free-format" reports, where absolute placement of elements are critical. HTML is meant to be rendered in a browser. What kind of report are you trying to generate. If you have the ODS book, we do have sections on how to use CELLWIDTH and JUST and other style attributes to impact the output for tabular output. What are you trying to generate?

cynthia

[Brian]

HTML dashboard/report similar to ods tagsets.htmlpanel with more control using the report writing interface. Panel of individual/seperate tables, href and images. Gridded layout with column_span and cell_span to merge cell & columns where needed. Region used to move through grid columns as needed. The code obj.format_text(text: "text_string", overrides: "just=C"); and obj.format_cell(text: "text_string", overrides: "just=L"); work in pdf but no luck with HTML (rendering both pdf & html both using same code). I pad the middle column with hidden alt-255 because the column_gutter and column_widths don't seem to work for me with gridded_layout under HTML.

Thanks

[Cynthia_sas]

Hi:

  I would recommend that you read the papers referenced here:

http://support.sas.com/rnd/base/datastep/dsobject/index.html very carefully.

  In particular, this paper http://support.sas.com/rnd/base/datastep/dsobject/Power_to_show_paper.pdf on page 5 where it says:

"There are various features that the ODS Report Writing interface relies on in order to fully support all of the documented methods; however, not all output destinations support all features." (underlining mine)

  You may want to work with Tech Support, on this. My .02 comment is that, to me, the idea of column guttering belongs more to the world of PDF or RTF -- I'd probably chalk most of what you're experiencing up to the "not all output destinations support all features" warning.

cynthia